#why everyone includes two versions of their art when facepaint is involved

[vaunted-and-vilified]

Not of the Ninth, but beholden to it.

[whotfelsewantedtobelynnyx]

Now, when it comes to Hunter’s parental figure, I love the idea of Dadrius as much as anyone else. I also love Mama Eda, Raven Mom Lilith, Politely Confused Stepdad Alador, Exasperated Parental Unit Raine, and of course, Mamì Camila.

So like….why can’t we have them all?

No, I’m not talking about some weird mega-ship. I’m talking the most chaotic coparenting anyone’s ever seen. Hunter went from no parents to too many parents. And as to what that looks like…

- Post-DOU, once everything worked out and all the families were reunited, there were at least a few sets of custody battles. Alador and Odalia had a huge, drawn-out fight involving multiple sets of lawyers from both the Human and Demon Realms, Eda and Camila went through a very awkward phase of deciding where Luz would live (they settled on sharing a house with a door installed to the human realm so Vee could come and go as she pleased) and Amber’s aunt and uncle appeared out of the woodworks briefly to cause issues for Raine*. However, the biggest argument ended up being over Hunter. After a lot of bickering, some name-calling, and one impromptu sparring match, they settled on a split custody schedule where Hunter would go back and forth between Alador and Darius’s apartment and the Owl House with Eda, Raine and Camila (Lilith gets every other weekend). Hunter was incredibly confused as to what all the fuss was about.

- Hunter wasn’t sure who exactly he was supposed to call Mom and Dad at first. In fact, he was actually really nervous about it. Of course, when he came clean about it, everyone was incredibly supportive. One of the few things all of the adults actually agreed on was that they’d love him no matter what. Eventually, he settled on calling Camila ‘Mom’ or ‘Mamí’ (Luz taught him some Spanish) and Darius various versions of ‘Dad’. Eda and Raine he addresses by their first names (though he had to be talked out of calling them ‘Ms’ or ‘Mx’ Clawthorne-Whispers in the beginning) and he eventually started calling Lilith ‘Auntie’ like Luz and King. He insists on calling Alador ‘Stepfather’. No one can convince him otherwise. 

-Camila is the BIGGEST soccer mom when it comes to her babies having sports games (though she isn’t exactly the biggest fan of the Gland Prix- racing is just such a dangerous sport even when it’s not a hundred feet in the air). Hunter has a whole cheering section at his flyer derby games, and Camila is always the loudest. She and Eda also always help each other put on Emerald Entrails facepaint. 

- The parents have unspoken designations for who helps Hunter with what. Darius is the one to take him shopping and help him with his clothes and possessions. Camila is there for friendship drama and girl troubles (cough cough, Captain, cough). Raine takes him to therapy and sometimes sits through it with him, Eda is in charge of checking on him when he has nightmares, and Alador and Lilith tag-team homework duties. Lilith has also made it a personal goal to make sure Hunter doesn’t grow up to be like her. 

- Hunter has SO MANY STEP/ADOPTED SIBLINGS. So, so many. Siblings list includes

Amity (stepsister)

The twins (stepsiblings)

Gus (unofficial little brother)

Luz (adopted sister)

King (adopted step(?)brother)

Vee (adopted stepsister...half sister? I dunno?) 

The baby BATTs- Derwin, Amber and Katya- (yeah no I’m done doing this)

Steve (Steve doesn’t belong to any of the parents, Steve’s just everyone’s big brother)

Hunter has mastered the art of being a big brother. Being a little brother, on the other hand? That’s new, and he’s not really sure how to feel about it. Steve and the older two BATTs are very persistent, however, and he grows to like it- especially the part where they gang up on the younger ones a bit. Luz, Amber, King, Amity and Vee don’t like that part as much (they’re still grumpy about the last family pillow war). 

- Hunter goes through his teen rebel stage a bit late. Glasses of apple blood are often shared between parents over the exasperated exchanging of stories about loud music, ripped clothes and dyed hair. No one will admit to having taken him to get his ears pierced, though they all have their suspicions (and they’re so busy shooting looks in Eda’s direction that they don’t notice how red her spouse’s ears have turned). 

- Gwendolyn and Dell ADORE their scraggly teenage grandson. Gwendolyn often fusses over him, asking if he’s eating enough or tutting over the bags under his eyes. Dell is thrilled when Hunter expresses an interest in learning about Palismen and his own origins, and immediately offered to take him with him on his trips into the Palistrom groves. They now go every Friday night together. 

In conclusion...I dunno, found families make the brain go brrrrrr. 

*Amber, Katya and Derwin are Raine’s kids and I won’t be taking criticism. Also, I’ve made up a lot of head canons about Amber and that’s one of them. It’s not super important.